SHANGHAI, China – “The Chinese take great pride in their food,” reads a prepared memo to U.S. President Richard Nixon ahead of his landmark 1972 visit to the People’s Republic of China. It was. The lavish state dinner between President Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing, broadcast live around the world, was crucial in improving U.S. public opinion of the country, which had been hidden for decades. was.
More than half a century later, food is once again playing a central role in strengthening U.S.-China relations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently completed their second visit to China in less than a year, with officials on both sides emerging as a key element in stabilizing relations. . The possibility of so-called “food diplomacy.”
Yellen's visit in early April was notable for the level of attention the Chinese public paid to her food choices. Her expectations were high since her first visit last July. In doing so, she chose a Beijing restaurant that serves authentic cuisine from southern China's Yunnan province, including mushrooms that can have psychedelic effects when cooked improperly, which led her to become a hot topic on Chinese social media. Became popular.
This time, she made headlines not only for her choice of authentic Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine, but also for her use of chopsticks at a popular Guangzhou restaurant founded in 1880, which impressed the hosts in 1972. It was reminiscent of President Nixon's own use of chopsticks.
Thomas Dubois, a Chinese historian who teaches at Beijing Normal University, said Yellen is known for sampling local food during her tours of the United States, but the symbolism of doing so in China is The meaning was particularly striking.
“In China, food is the language of diplomacy, and Chinese people are rightly proud of their food culture.” She [Yellen] I knew that how she eats would have a huge impact on her visit,” Dubois told Al Jazeera.
“China is a food-obsessed culture, so if the food is bad, it's not just bad taste, it's a sign that something is wrong.”
US President Richard Nixon's dinner party in Beijing in 1972 was broadcast live on television. [Bill Achatz/AP Photo]Dubois noted that one of Yellen's frequently used phrases about her Chinese diet was “humility,” which is a “very important” personality trait for Chinese people.
“Eating well and knowing how to eat is a deep moral philosophy in China, and it really comes down to the humility to change yourself depending on what happens, like coming here and using chopsticks. ” he said.
The importance of food in diplomacy is well known among Chinese diplomats. Diplomats from major European countries based in Beijing say having a meal together is one of their top priorities when interacting with Chinese officials.
“In high-level bilateral talks, it's very important to have a food component in the program because it allows for open and frank conversations,” he said, requesting anonymity. “Dinners are used strategically by both sides to build trust,” he said.
Before the diplomat was assigned to Beijing, part of his training was about Chinese banquet customs, such as who should sit where at the table and the rules for toasting. He added that his country's ministers were also briefed on these practices before meeting with Chinese ministers.
Having said that, banquets are difficult. In addition to complex customs, the complex nature of Chinese cuisine, which uses a wide range of ingredients, can lead to challenges in building trust around food, especially regarding food allergies, which are relatively rare in China.
At a recent Chinese-organized dinner in Beijing, visiting European ministers each had different allergies, from lactose intolerance to shellfish.
“A Chinese official came and said that it was very difficult for him to plan this dinner for us because our ministers have so many allergies,” the diplomat said. “These differences in eating habits can complicate the situation and cause a lot of stress and anxiety.”
warm coverage
The seven-second video showing Yellen using chopsticks was first posted and went viral by a social media account that appears to be directly run by the Chinese government. Multiple national news outlets published the full details of Yellen's meal plan, including every dish she ate.
In an essay on the popular Chinese app WeChat, veteran commentator and former journalist Zhang Feng wrote that Chinese state media's coverage of Yellen's amiable side echoes the “callous” coverage of U.S. officials in recent years. He pointed out that there is a clear line between the two.
“Mr. Yellen's visit to China may slightly improve anti-American sentiment among the Chinese public,” Zhang wrote. Chinese public opinion of the United States sharply deteriorated under President Donald Trump, who famously ate “Americanized” Chinese food during a state visit in 2017, but has improved slightly since President Joe Biden took office. did.
The warm report coincides with a shift in tone in Chinese state media on U.S.-China relations in recent months, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seeks to stabilize relations amid domestic economic challenges.
This custom has historical roots. Chinese officials also used food to improve perceptions of the United States in the lead-up to President Nixon's 1972 visit. Photos of Americans friendly to the regime, such as journalist Edgar Snow, attending various state dinners were widely circulated in both national and party newspapers. .
Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant said it did not see a spike in business due to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken dining there [Vincent Chow/Al Jazeera]But there is also a nationalist backlash against the recent softening of rhetoric.
The outspoken tabloid Global Times said in an editorial:[t]Chinese people welcome anyone from anywhere to come and enjoy our cuisine, but that doesn't mean we won't resist baseless accusations or outright oppression. ”
Another vocal critic, former Xinhua reporter Ming Jingwei, accused his compatriots of being “hopelessly obsessed” with the United States in a WeChat essay, calling them “a spiritual American.” called “people”. He argued that America's reputation in China is currently “collapsed,” and said that is a “good thing.”
The debate over how the Chinese Communist Party should shape domestic public opinion toward the United States comes amid the very tepid reception Mr. Blinken received during a trip in late April that included talks with President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. It was showing.
Mr. Blinken has also dined at authentic restaurants in Shanghai and Beijing, and the U.S. Embassy even shared footage of Mr. Blinken showing off his chopstick skills with a popular Chinese food vlogger. Habits received less attention than Ms. Yellen.
The social media accounts that were raving about Ms. Yellen's chopstick skills did not share any videos of Ms. Blinken's cooking adventures. Instead, he emphasized that China would make a point about the United States' “wrong words and actions” on a variety of red line issues at the heart of U.S.-China tensions, including Taiwan, the South China Sea, and Ukraine.
One of the most discussed topics during Mr. Blinken's three-day visit on Weibo, China's equivalent of He was subjected to harsh questioning regarding US support for the United States.
A hashtag related to the interview ranked among the top 10 most discussed topics on the site on April 28, garnering more than 67 million views as of Tuesday. By contrast, hashtags related to Yellen's diet had a combined 39 million views.
It is unclear whether the BBC interview went viral on its own. Weibo has previously been accused of rigging its hashtag ranking system, as hashtags related to international politics are susceptible to manipulation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping enjoys wine on visit to France this week [Aurelien Morissard/AP Photo]On Saturday evening, the Shanghai restaurant Mr. Blinken visited was about 80% full. One staffer said the restaurant is always busy due to its location in a tourist area, and Blinken's visit did not cause a spike in customer numbers.
Nevertheless, other countries are also recognizing the power of food diplomacy.
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron thanked President Xi Jinping for his “openness” in not imposing pre-emptive tariffs on French cognac after several hours of talks in Paris. The Chinese government launched an anti-dumping investigation into European brandy in January, which some see as a response to the European Union's investigation into Chinese electric vehicles.
President Macron then took Xi and his wife to the Pyrenees Mountains, where they nibbled on cheese and enjoyed wine.
And what did Macron's farewell gift to Xi include? Two cognacs, of course.